Government clampdown on ticket touts continues with bots ban

New legislation will ban touts from using automated software to buy tickets in bulk

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The Government has revealed new legislation to ban ticket touts from using bots to purchase tickets in bulk.

The new legislation means that touts who use bots to bulk buy tickets for resale at extortionate prices will have to face unlimited fines.

Commenting on the clampdown on touts, Matt Hancock (pictured), minister for the creative industries, said: "We’re determined to make sure 2018 is the year we help real fans get the chance to see their favourite music and sports stars at a fair price. We’ll be acting to stamp out the growing problem of touts misusing technology to scoop up vast numbers of tickets only to sell them on at rip-off prices.

"Our work, together with improvements by industry, will help make the market more transparent and mean a great year for Britain’s thriving live events scene."

In related live music news, Conservative MP David Warburton, chair of the All Party Group (APPG) on Music, last month urged senior Ministers to back the Agent Of Change principle, a new law aimed at protecting live music venues.

Warburton, chair of the 77-member group, has written to the Government encouraging them to get behind plans to bring Agent of Change into planning law, PSNEurope sister publication Music Week reported. In letters to Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid, Culture Secretary Karen Bradley and Digital Minister Matt Hancock, he warned of the threat facing small and grassroots music venues across the UK.

While highlighting the benefits of live music to the economy – to the tune of £1 billion a year – he said there were some “worrying signs” for the music business.